December The 31st
by prosfan
Summary: Lewis saves James from a terrible New Year's Eve and much merriment is had by all.
1. A Favour To Ask

_Author's note: I did intend this to be ready yesterday, but lots of little disctractions scuppered my plans. Not the least being the fact that I rediscovered the Phantom of the Opera film. This is a little piece of fluff that I have been promising due to the amazing about of angst my stories normally have in._

Enjoy :D

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><p>Smash!<p>

Hathaway looked up as another bauble fell off the tiny, precariously decorated, plastic Christmas tree that Laura had enforced upon their filing cabinet. He grunted quietly at it in reproach and turned back to the paperwork littering his desk. Just as Lewis thought the incident was forgotten, James put down his pen, turned to face the tree fully and muttered;

"Shouldn't that bloody thing have been taken down by now!"

Lewis couldn't help grinning at his sergeants grumpy demeanour, not really able to blame him for it. After all, it was the 27th of December and they were sat in the office trying desperately to finish the paper work before the end of the year.

"Ah come now James, where's your Christmas spirit?"

"It went the same way as Christmas sir." James said, with all the petulance of a young child. Lewis stopped grinning. He didn't know what James' Christmases were like, but some how he didn't think they were as family filled as his own. This year hadn't been as bad as previous ones, he'd gone up to Manchester to be with Lyn, Tim and their bairn Eddie. It had been lovely and he'd insisted that the little family came down to him for New Year since both Lyn and Tim were off work.

"Really? Christmas that bad was it?"

"Nah...well it could have been worse. Went to my uncles, my Dad's side, my cousin Luke has just come back from Italy after 4 years and we used to be pretty close so it was nice to see him again.." Hathaway looked sheepish, but only for a second. Still, Lewis wasn't going to it lie.

"What?...Hathaway, you only get that look when you've done something wrong...and got caught having done it."

"I er, I wanted to ask you a favour sir."

"Oh aye?" Lewis replied, his eyebrow arched in question, a slight smile on his face at James' reticence.

"Yeah I er. Sir would you mind phoning me on New years eve? In the evening at about 8?"

Whatever Lewis was expecting, it wasn't that.

"Er, yeah sure Jim, Mind if I ask why?"

"Its just that, well my uncles house, that was ok, more than ok, nice even. Was the first enjoyable Christmas in a little while actually."

"I sense a 'but' just around the corner sergeant." James nodded, conceding Lewis statement.

"_But_, New Year's eve. Well that's a whole different board game. It'd probably be even more unbearable if board games were involved come to think of it."

"What's so bad about it Hathaway, it's a great holiday?"

"Not," James ground out, "If you have to spend it with my aunt." Lewis wondered, not for the first time, where Hathaway's parents were in all this. Lewis had long since come to the conclusion that his young colleagues mother and father were no longer alive. He had his hunches about what happened to one of them as well, the lad had always reacted badly to the suicides they came across. Although it turned out that Jane Templeton had been murdered, he could never forget the look of sorrow and confusion on his sergeants face as Lewis had tried to pummel life back into her. He remembered James refusing to pull Hugh Mallory up to safety until he had admitted he wanted to live. Not the most conventional way of saving someone from themselves it had to be said. But he wisely didn't ask. He'd learnt long ago with James that you had to wait for him to tell you anything. You ask him, and that's invasion of privacy.

"Is she so bad?"

"You don't know the half of it. I don't think she likes anyone in our family, except perhaps her husband and he's been dead 3 years. But she loathes me."

"How do you mean 'loathes'?"

"Well she is amazingly anti-religious, makes you look like a priest sir." Lewis snorted at that. "And so, me training in the seminary went down well. I'd thought she'd have been happy when that fell through, but no, she just delighted in letting me know I'd failed."

"I bet you needed that". Lewis felt angry at this woman that he'd never met. He saw in his minds eye, an already disillusioned younger James that was having the full force of what he'd lost, shoved right back in his face by someone who should have been on his side. James' voice brought him back to the office.

"Exactly, and for some reason she's taken offence at the fact that I'm now a detective. I have no idea what she's got against me, but an entire night of her getting drunk with my other cousins, none of whom I particularly like, bemoaning and belittling every thing I have ever done, is _not_ a good way to see the new year in. Honestly sir, if you ever get called out to a murder of a Mrs Patricia Groves on new years eve, just arrest me outright."

"Ah, so you want out then? Invent an emergency call?" They both grinned as they remembered Lewis saying the exact same words 3 years before.

"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind sir."

"No problem lad. Wouldn't want two thousand and twelve to start with you languishing in a cell, would I?" James smiled happily.

"Thank you sir, you might just have saved my career."

Both men turned back to their paperwork, slightly happier than when they started.


	2. Lyn's Idea

Lewis got home to a message on his answer phone from Lyn. He pressed the playback button, smiling at the warm feeling he got whenever his daughter phoned.

"_Hi Dad. I just wanted to check we're still ok to come up on the 30__th__. You know I've had a great idea. I'll tell you when you phone back Dad. Hope your day was okay, speak to you soon, love you Dad."_

He was still smiling as he dialled her back.

"Hi Lyn? Yeah it's still fine for you to come up, why wouldn't it be pet?"

"I dunno Dad, murders or something."

"Well I'm on leave as of the end of tomorrow so no fear love"

"That's good to hear. I'm always worried you're going to get called out.

"No worries this year Lyn, now what's this idea of yours?"

"Oh that, well I was thinking how much I missed those parties when I was a kid. Mum used to love them."

"Aye, she'd be busy preparing for hours", Lewis agreed, his tone wistful for the life he'd once had. He suddenly cottoned on to what his Daughter meant.

"Wait you want to have a party here? In Oxford?"

"Yeah. Oh come on Dad, it'll be great. Get James and Laura and Innocent to come, anyone."

"I don't have a massive house Lyn"

"So don't invite loads of people. Dad, you know you'll love it."

"You know me too well pet."

"All me life Dad." He could hear the facetiousness in her voice. She would be a force to be reckoned with if if her and James ever took it upon them selves to gang up on him. He smiled.

"Away with ye, cheeky lass. Did you talk to Ken?"

"Aye Dad. He says he can't make it for New Year's, work won't let him off, but he'll give you a call. And he's got a fortnight off in the middle of January, said he's coming home then...and do you have a spare room?"

"Shame, he should be home. Still, he called me at Christmas, he'll call me at New Year. You told him I had the spare right?"

"Yeah Dad. He said he'd find out when the flights were and let you know."

"Cheers love. Well if we're gonna have this party, what time are you coming up to help me cook and stuff?" He could hear the smile in her voice as she answered;

"Whenever you like Dad, 4 pm ok?"

"Brilliant love, you can remind me I need to phone James at 8pm."

"What?"

"Never mind pet, just a favour sown that has to be reaped"

"I'm not even going to ask."

"Aye, safer that way, love you pet see you on the 30th"

"Love you Dad."There was a click of the phone as she hung up.

As he shook his head at his daughter and her ideas, he couldn't help but feel she'd hit the nail on the head. A new years party was exactly what he needed.


	3. Dealing With Auntie Pat

James hadn't been expecting some massive change in character from his auntie Patricia, so he wasn't disappointed when she hadn't displayed any. He'd been angry, frustrated and a little bit sad, but not disappointed.

"Are you still in the police force James?"

"Yes Aunt Pat. I'm in CID now. A detective sergeant."

"Not an inspector then? You could do a lot better James."

"No, I happen to like the inspector I'm working with, I like being his sergeant."

"You have no ambition, that's always been your problem. No drive, not like Sally." He groaned inwardly, not more stories about his cousin Sally. Just because she was the head of a company at twenty eight. She was only 5 years younger than him for Pete's sake.

"No Sally has drive coming out of her arse." He muttered darkly, growing more and more frustrated with the yearly character assassination he was forced to endure.

"What was that?" Paticia asked sharply. James managed to mask the grin on his face with a perfectly innocent expression.

"I said, Sally managed to become queen of the hive quite fast." He waited hoping he'd get away with it.

"Was that supposed to be a joke?"  
>"No Aunt Pat."<p>

"I didn't think so. You never were a funny boy." James sighed and looked at the clock. 8pm. Any minute now. He stifled a grin as his phone went off in his pocket.

"Sorry Aunt Pat, Work, I have to take this."

"Tell them its New year, they can't make you work on New year's eve."

"Sorry Murder's won't stop for a night, not even for you."

He wandered into the kitchen to take Lewis' call.

.

"Jim, 8pm, thought it was ok to call you now."

"Thanks, I'm this close..."

"To what?"

"To breaking every rule I ever learnt in the seminary and the police force."

"No worries lad. I've got you now eh?" James could hear the teasing tone behind his inspectors words and grinned.

"Just get me out of here sir!"

"Okay, okay...Double murder, Wytham Woods, No murder weapon as of yet, got to be there in 20 mins. Sound good?"

"Right now? That sounds beautiful."

"Haha well go tell your family then. I'll see you in an hour at mine eh?Bring a bottle if there's something you particularly want to drink, other than that, we've got loads of stuff."

"Of course sir, it'll be nice to see a friendly face."

He headed back into the living room to face the music.

It was quarter to nine when he showed up at Lewis' house. He'd only really needed to go home and change into jeans and a nicer-than-work shirt and grab a quick bite to eat before he set off for the Lewis home anyway. He was calm and quite contented by the time he reached the front door.

Lyn opened the door with Eddie sat on her hip and he bent down to give her a peck on the cheek. He wasn't really sure if that's what you did to babies so he just said hello to Eddie, not that the little boy took much notice, he was too interested on the button on James' shirt that was glinting in the light from a nearby lamppost.

"Leave Sergeant Hathaway's shirt alone, it's not a toy"Lyn said as she admonished her son. James smiled.

"James, please."

"Ok then, James...are you coming in?"

"Yeah, might as well, now I'm here."

.

It wasn't nearly as awkward as he'd feared it might be. He knew pretty much everyone there, he got on well with Tim and he found himself enjoying New Year's eve, for the first time in too many years.

He didn't drink too much though. Not only because he was aware of having to drive back home at some point in the early hours, but also because he enjoyed the sober enjoyment of it. He knew he was enjoying something properly if he had the happiness when he was sober. He only tended to drink excessively when there was something wrong. For example during the Garden case. He'd been drinking wine before work, and a scotch during. He hadn't missed the look Lewis had given him in the pub's beer garden when he'd downed that drink. But he was glad his boss didn't comment, the mood he'd been in, he'd probably just have gone and bought another one.

But this was good. His friends all gathered in one place, happy and without the shadow or urder hanging over them. He saw Laura, Jean and Lyn all talking together, as if they'd known each other for years. Come to think of it, Lyn and Laura probably had, whether Lyn had been a child or not. From the way they were casting furtive glances in his and his inspector's direction, he guessed that they were swapping stories about them.

A persistent ringing greeted his ears and he realised it was the phone. No one else seemed to notice, so James took it upon himself to answer it.

"Hello? This is...Lewis' house."

"H-Hello? Sorry his Line is terrible. Is Robbie there?"

"Yeah. This is James, who should I say is calling?"

"Ken..Ken Lewis...I'm his son."

"Oh right. Hang about a minute, I'll get him."

"Cheers mate"

Lewis was on the phone to Ken for a while, James wondered what it was costing. (Lewis told him later that he'd got Ken to ring back reverse charge so Lewis was footing the bill). James reflected that Lewis was a pretty good father.

At half past eleven, he excused himself for a smoke. When he came back in the room, the stereo was on and Lewis was grinning at him. It took him a little while to realise why. Then he heard that Lewis was playing the song that he'd chosen after the RG Cole case. The one he'd chosen after he'd told Lewis his music was too depressing. He raised his beer bottle in acknowledgement and cracked a grin, crossing over to the CD rack and browsing through, until Laura appeared and started a conversation with him about whether it was acceptable to wear a Christmas jumper in July.


	4. A Tradition Passed on

At ten minutes to midnight Robbie stood up, Lyn smiling at him. He left the room and James looked on, confused as he returned with two small items in a carrier bag.

"Right. I believe its supposed to be a talk dark man who carries out this tradition, but since we are lacking in them tonight, we'll settle for the youngest."

"Robbie, tall? Dark? You fit the bill." Tim said, grinning.

"Aye, but, well we'll go with the youngest anyway. I don't fancy bringing luck into my own house. Seems like asking for trouble."

"Who is the youngest though Dad?". Lyn asked.

"Well, technically, Eddie is, but I think he's a bit young to be carrying the responsibility of tradition on his own. So he's going to need some help...James?"

"What?" James, spluttered. "I'm not the youn...Am I?

"'Fraid so kidda. Lyn's 35, Tim's 36, I'm...well you know how old I am, I'm not reminding you. And you're younger than both Laura and Innocent. So bonny lad, you have to do it." It was at this moment that James thought about what Lewis had said.

"...Do what exactly?"

"Away man, nothing painful. Come on"

All of them gathered outside Robbie's front door and Lewis pulled the objects out of the bag. James just looked at them, nonplussed, slightly worried about the fact that everybody seemed to know what was going on.

"Do you all know what this is?" He asked, embarrassed by his lack of knowledge. Innocent nodded.

"Everyone's heard of this, don't you have traditions at New Years?"

"Apart from making my best efforts to be in my own bed at quarter past 12, nope." Both Laura and Jean looked confused. Lewis smiled grimly, he knew what James was referring to; the very thing that he'd had to phone up and save him from.

"Never mind, Eddie doesn't know, but uncle James'll teach him right?" Lyn piped up and Lewis was grateful for her observations. He saw that his daughter had noticed James' discomfort and attempted to alleviate it. Watching the younger man, he saw the genuine warmth in his eyes at being referred to as 'uncle James'.

"As long as Grandpa Robbie teaches uncle then yeah." He says facetiously to cover up his feelings. Lewis batted him lightly on the shoulder.

"Cheeky sod!"

"Dad, not in front of the bairn!"

"Away man pet, he's too young to pick it up."

"He better be. I will not have his first words be profanities. Especially not ones learned off his Granddad" Laura watched all this with amusement, noting the lack of anger in each party's eyes. She hoped Lyn knew how lucky she was to have Robbie Lewis as her father.

Tim looked at his watch.

"Robbie, you've got two minutes!"

"Right. Right. Lyn, give us Eddie." Lyn obliged and Lewis put Eddie into James arms. Startled, the sergeant held the baby awkwardly as he wondered why on earth Lewis trusted him with his only grandchild. Lewis grinned at him, in that gently mocking way that he had.

"Jim...its a baby, he won't hurt you"

"You're sure?"

"Yes." Lewis answered, stifling a laugh. James relaxed a little and shifted the baby in his arms to a more natural position. Lewis sent a silent thought to his grandchild.

"_Behave yourself laddie, you'll freak him out else"._

He put a hand out, beckoning at Hathaway to do the same. James held his hand out as well as he could, as Lewis dropped a lump of coal and a piece of wood into it.

"Beg your pardon sir...but what?"

"Youngest one has to be the first over the threshold. And they also have to be carrying a piece of wood and a lump of coal, to bring good luck into the house. But the youngest is too young, and I'm not sure babies should be playing with coal."

"Ok, do I have to say anything?"

"Nope, just walk in...er stick the coal and wood on the table eh?"

"Righto sir."

Just then the bells started to chime and James smiled. He really did love the bells of Oxford. Shifting Eddie in his arms, he looked at Robbie, who nodded encouragingly.

"Come on then kid." he said to the slightly squirming bundle in his arms, "Gotta carry on the tradition"

With that he walked into the flat and did just that.

Gladly handing Eddie back to Lyn so she could put him to bed, he turned to Lewis grinning his most facetious grin.

"Did I do alright Dad?"

"Bugger off James," Lewis said with out malice, "I might be old enough, doesn't mean you can take the piss."

"Sorry sir." James replied, suitably chastened, believing Lewis to be serious. Lewis smiled softly.

"Daft sod, you did fine. We'll make a Geordie out of you yet." James laughed. Laura handed him a drink and he took it gratefully, content to sit and watch the rest of the party. He even got to see the end of the London fireworks on the Television.


	5. An Unlikely Babysitter

It was about half an hour after Lyn had put him to bed, that Eddie announced his awakening by wailing his lungs out. Lyn groaned;

"He has me up and down like a yo-yo that boy." She moved to get up but James got there first.

"I'll go Lyn, I was going to go for a smoke any way, I'll look in on him on my way out...If...if that's ok?" Lewis looked slightly alarmed (how good was James with kids anyway?) but Lyn merely smiled, grateful for the break.

"Thank you James, he won't be needing a feed yet." James nodded and headed towards the spare bedroom. Laura, Jean and Robbie all gave each other looks, thinking the same thing; _Since when was Hathaway comfortable with babies?. _Robbie tacked on a fatherly, _and I really need to stop him smoking_. Laura voiced her thoughts;

"I suppose we've never really seen him with a baby have we? Apart from just now with Eddie, which was kind of dumped on him at the last moment. For all we know, he might have had a younger sibling. Not exactly forthcoming with his information is he?"

"That he isn't. But I dunno, he seems so awkward so much of time, I can't picture it, can you Jean?"

"Not really, but well he's surprised us before."

The idea is dropped and they continue talking about Lyn's work, Tim asks Laura about pathology and Laura is only too happy to discuss it with someone who is genuinely interested.

Robbie sits back, a smile on his face, as he watches his friends and family getting on so well. Except for...Where is James? Lewis knows his smoke breaks, they are never longer than 5 minutes. Even with checking on the baby, it wouldn't have taken...He glances down at his watch. 15 minutes! How had he not noticed the younger man had been gone for that long? He looks around, a little too quickly to be casual and Jean notices.

"Robbie?" she says quietly, not wanting to alert the others to the worry that is plainly written on his face despite his efforts to appear different.

"Jim? Taking his time isn't he?" He says, as nonchalantly as he can. Its not only worry about Hathaway brooding, although God knows the boy is good at that. He knows perfectly well that James could appear to be relaxed and calm and inside something is eating him up. Its not only that. Since LePlassiter, whenever James' smoke breaks are longer than normal, a bolt of panic shoots through the inspector. He doesn't know if LePlassiter ever smoked but he's aware that the same fate could be waiting for James if the younger man doesn't kick the habit. He doesn't say that though.

"You know what he's like Jean, he could be thinking...well anything." She pats him on the arm reassuringly and he smiles.

"I'll go and check up on him Robbie. Don't worry, its not always doom and gloom with that man you know."

Seeing that the back door was firmly closed, she made her way to the bedroom where Eddie's cot had been set up. The door was open a little and she could see James sat on the bed inside, holding the baby in his arms. He was watching the small boy with a strange look on his face. Warmth, awe...and was that longing? She shook her head, it was absurd to think that James wanted a kid. Wasn't it? Either way, it was the most expressive she'd seen him that wasn't angry, in a long time.

She looked again, careful not to make any noise for she knew, once James realised she was there, he'd put the baby back in the cot and pretend like she hadn't just seen him. So she continued observing the enigmatic young man, watching as Eddie reached a tiny hand up to James' face and planted it firmly on his chin. She almost laughed the shock on the sergeant's face but then saw it relax into absolute calm, as the young man, put his index finger near the baby's other hand and grinned as a tiny fist closed around it. She watched in fascination as the small eyes drooped and he slowly snuggled into James side, sleep catching Eddie unawares as it often does with babies. Jean could easily see the tenderness on the young man's face and she smiled.

Jean gently backed away, aware that James would probably get up in a minute to put the little boy back to bed and she didn't want to be caught snooping.

She sat down next to Robbie again and murmured quietly to him.

"Panic over Robbie, he's fine. They both are. Although he might need a little help, I don't think he thought it through this far."

"Eh?" Robbie looked at her confused.

"He's been with Eddie the whole time Lewis, hasn't even touched his cigarettes." Lewis smiled at that.

"Was he ok with him then?"Jean looked at him honestly.

"More than...Go on Robbie, go and see to your young-uns" Lewis smiled at her attempt at his accent on the last word before getting up to go and relieve his sergeant of the baby.

Stopping at the door, just as Jean did, Robbie couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat as he took in the sight before him. James was gently rubbing his thumb over the tiny hand that was clutching his shirt and mumbling to the baby asleep in his lap. Robbie coughed and James' head shot up.

"H-hello sir." The embarrassment and uncertainty were plain in the younger man's voice and Robbie wanted to put him at ease. But he didn't really know how to go about it.

"Jim, d'you want a hand?"

"Please? I didn't want to wake him again."

"No problem" Lewis said as he carefully lifted the child off of James. Or attempted to, as James disconnected the little hand that was still holding his shirt. Finally untangled, James let go, quietly speaking to the baby;

"Now you remember what I said Eddie."

They lay him back in the cot and Lewis turned to James.

"You didn't have to do that, could've got one of us in."He put his hand on the sergeant's shoulder. James shook his head.

"I didn't mind sir...He's...beautiful. Amazing to think, tiny little life like that, so trusting...just...wow." Lewis grinned at the younger man, happy at finally having found something that made his enigmatic, quiet and extremely private sergeant, come alive so easily.

"Come on lad, quarter to one, babysitting duties over, come and have a drink" James grinned, casting one glance back at the cot.

"Go on then." he answered.

"By the way, what did you say to him?"

"Told him not to smoke sir, filthy habit." Lewis laughed, clapping James on the back.

"Sound advice Jim, now the question is, are you going to follow it too?"

"You know sir, I think I might."

They walked back in to Living room. No one commented on the fact that James had left his jacket behind, or that there was no smell of tobacco on him. Jean had told them what she'd seen when Lyn had asked where Robbie was going. Instead Laura shifted her chair so James could sit down next to her.

"Good smoke James?" He smiled at her, a smile that Lyn recognised on Tim's face nearly every day since Eddie had been born.

"Yeah. Best in a long time"


	6. Aftermath Of Festivites

It was about half four when everyone left. Hobson and Jean had got into a taxi, arguing about who was going to pay. Lyn and her family had gone upstairs, sleeping in Lewis' spare room.

Hathaway had stayed a little while to help Lewis clean up. Lewis had insisted that it could wait till morning but, as James had pointed out, cleaning up the debris of a party with a hangover wasn't fun at all. And he'd feel bad having at least made some of the mess.

So they'd made short work of it, bundling all the bottles and cans into a bin bag, ready for recycling once the service resumed. The food was put into Tupperware and the dishes were left to soak overnight. Lewis had to reflect that James did look a little more than tipsy. But he was obviously ok.

Once they'd finished, Robbie offered James another beer but he declined politley.

"Not sure that's a good idea sir, I have to drive...and besides, the recycling bag is full." He didn't mention, that he was probably already over the limit as it was. He wasn't sure how many of the empty bottles they had picked up were his, but he was sure he recognised a fair few of them. He told Lewis as much, earning himself a confused look from the inspector.

"How can you recognise a bottle Jim?"

"...I pulled all the paper off mine."

"That was you! You drank loads lad"

"Yeah well I felt safe sir. You always feel better about drinking when you feel safe." Lewis didn't mention anything about the fact that last time he had seen James drinking any significant amount, the boy must have felt anything but safe. They sat in silence for a little while, James hoping that the room wouldn't spin too much when he got up, Lewis trying to think of a suitable way to tell James he didn't have to leave. He knew the lad would leave out of politeness and even if he didn't drive, it was hardly a good time of night...morning too be walking through town on your own.

"James have another beer lad, stop on the sofa, its late and there's no way I'm letting you get in that car."

"Ssir, really, I'll be ffine." Lewis laughed at him.

"You're slurring your words man! I think I've got a blanket somewhere, listen Jim, you'd never make it home" Lewis knew he was being over protective, Hathaway was a grown man after all. But he did feel some paternal feelings for his young sergeant. And although he'd seen Hathaway defend himself(and others) on numerous occasions, he didn't think the drunk, inebriated young man sat on his sofa with a contended grin on his face, would have the first clue how to defend himself. He grinned fondly, drunk and happy, James looked a lot younger than normal. He felt like he was getting a look at how James might have been when he was 18, 19, 20...before the seminary, a fresh-faced theology student, discovering beer and alcohol by a process of trial and error. He chuckled to himself as he remembered a slightly tispy James, entranced by the fireworks erupting over the Thames on the tv screen, watching them with childlike fascination.

He wasn't surprised when he came back from the airing cupboard, to find the sergeant curled up on the sofa, fast asleep. He gently draped the blanket over him and left him to sleep, heading to his bedroom.

And he found that the best way of dealing with the mild hangover he had in the morning, was to laugh at James' considerably more major one.

To tired to be annoyed, James laughed with him and gratefully accepted the breakfast tat Lyn cooked for them all.

All in all, he felt more positive about 2012 than he had any year before it.

* * *

><p><em>Thank<em>_ you to princessozmaofoz for all her encouragement and grammatical help :D Any further mistakes in the text are my own._

_I Hope 2012 brings you all happines_


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